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Beta, level cap 30 · data read 13 Oct

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Beast Mastery Hunter guide

Ranged DPS · our guide of 13 Oct 2026 Recommendation

Talent trees, every tier list's rating and the sim: the Beast Mastery tab.

In short

  • A ranged damage dealer whose pet does much of the work, and the safest Hunter spec to level with.
  • Number 17 of 20 damage specs in our newest sim run, at 650 DPS. Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
  • Hawks on top of the pet: Summon Hawk sends a hawk to dive at your target and keep attacking for 18 sec, up to 2 hawks at once. It shares a cooldown with Arcane Shot. Sourced: Talent database
  • Weak spot: much of your damage is the pet's, and Focused Fire only raises your damage and your pet's while the pet is out, so a dead pet costs more than its own damage. Sourced: Talent database

How it plays

Up to level 30. Send the pet in first, then Serpent Sting, Aimed Shot and Arcane Shot on cooldown; Auto Shot fills the gaps, and Raptor Strike or Wing Clip handle anything that reaches you. Multi-Shot instead of Aimed Shot on packs. Deadly Aspects and Focused Fire come first, then Unleashed Fury for 15% more pet and hawk damage. Summon Hawk sits behind 15 points in the tree, so this build takes it at 25; keep two hawks out and alternate them with Arcane Shot. Our PvP build takes Intimidation instead, with the 21st point: your pet's next hit stuns the target for 3 sec.

Sourced: Guide · 2 Oct, Talent database

At level 60. Theory Bestial Wrath and Rapid Fire together with your trinkets: Bestial Wrath sends your pet into a rage for 18 sec, with 50% more damage, and nothing short of death stops it. Keep two hawks out, alternating with Arcane Shot, then Aimed Shot, Multi-Shot on cooldown, and Serpent Sting on long fights. Frenzy, which needs Ferocity, makes every pet crit speed its attacks up 30% for 8 sec at 5 of 5. The 20 Marksmanship points buy Mortal Shots, behind Careful Aim 5 of 5: the crit damage bonus of your ranged abilities is 30% higher. Since 24 Sep the attack power bonus of the Wolf's Furious Howl is 40% smaller, so take a Cat for damage.

Sourced: Talent database, Dev notes · 24 Sep

Talents at a glance

  • Level 20: Deadly Aspects 5, Focused Fire 2, Improved Revive Pet 1, Improved Concussive Shot 3

    Improved Concussive Shot is a row-1 MM talent, so it costs no BM progression; a proc-stun beats 2 points of run speed.

    Recommendation · See the trees · Open in the calculator

  • Level 30: Deadly Aspects 5, Focused Fire 2, Improved Aspect of the Monkey 3, Improved Revive Pet 1, Pathfinding 1, Bestial Swiftness 1, Unleashed Fury 5, Improved Mend Pet 2, Intimidation 1

    Intimidation (row 5, requires Bestial Swiftness) instead of Summon Hawk: one point of Pathfinding fills the gap to 20. A 3 sec pet stun wins more 20–29 WSG fights than a hawk.

    Recommendation · See the trees · Open in the calculator

  • Level 60: Deadly Aspects 5, Endurance Training 3, Focused Fire 2, Improved Aspect of the Monkey 3, Improved Revive Pet 2, Bestial Swiftness 1, Unleashed Fury 5, Improved Mend Pet 2, Ferocity 5, Intimidation 1, Spirit Bond 1, Bestial Wrath 1, Improved Concussive Shot 5, Hawk Eye 3, Careful Aim 5, Lethal Attacks 2, Mortal Shots 5

    Durable pet + control; no hawk, no Frenzy. MM keeps Mortal Shots legal via Careful Aim 5/5; Scatter Shot is out of reach without giving up Bestial Wrath.

    Theory · See the trees · Open in the calculator

Rotation at level 30

Recommendation

Single target

Open with Hunter's Mark, Serpent Sting, Summon Hawk.

  1. Pet on target
  2. Serpent Sting
  3. Summon Hawk — keep 2 out; it shares a cooldown with Arcane Shot, so alternate
  4. Aimed Shot
  5. Auto Shot

Groups

  • Multi-Shot
  • Summon Hawk on the pack
  • Volley not until 40

Tips

Intimidation (PvP build) is a 3 sec pet stun with damage.

Feign Death (30) resets bad pulls.

Stats

Each guide's stat order as it gives it, the sim's stat weights, then ours. Guides dated before the last big tuning are shown but not counted.

Guides differWeapon damage first on every guide; the order after it differs.

WhereStat order
Guide · 5 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctWeapon damage › Hit › Agility › Crit › Intellect › Spirit › Stamina
Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctWeapon damage › Agility › Spirit › Intellect › Stamina › Hit › Crit
Guide · 9 Oct leveling, level 30 · read 12 OctNot ranked
Sim · stat weights level 60 · run 12 Oct, 5,000 iterations

Per 1%: Crit 3.52 › Attack speed 3.05 tied with Hit 2.92 › Expertise 0.476

Per point: Ranged weapon DPS 1.5 › Physical damage 1.01 › Agility 0.372 › Intellect 0.15 › Ranged attack power 0.137 › Armour penetration 0.0474

No DPS change in this run: Strength, Mana every 5 sec, Attack power.

The DPS each stat adds, for a level-60 character on the engine's preset gear in a 2-minute fight on a beta engine: a direction, not a verdict. = marks a tie: stats within each other's margin. Not counted toward "Guides agree".

Where they differ: ours puts Hit before Crit, which the sim weighs higher per 1%; ours puts Attack power before Intellect, which the sim weighs higher per point.

Ours RecommendationRanged weapon damage › Hit › Agility › Crit › Attack power › Intellect › Stamina

Ours adds Attack power, which neither guide lists.

Our order matches the guides' wherever they all agree.

Race

Each guide's race picks for Beast Mastery, then our pick for the Hunter.

Alliance

Guides agreeHuman on 2 guides.

Horde

Guides agreeTauren on 2 guides.

Professions

One guideOnly one guide names professions.

  • Guide · 5 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctSkinning, Leatherworking
  • Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctNot given
  • Guide · 9 Oct leveling, level 30 · read 12 OctNot given
  • Ours, for the Hunter RecommendationSkinning + Leatherworking (while leveling); or Mining + Engineering (endgame)

What changed for Beast Mastery

  • 8 Oct: Disengage now drops twice as much threat, as first planned; Beast Mastery's Unleashed Fury now raises pet damage; Marksmanship's Improved Concussive Shot procs at its intended rate.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 8 Oct

  • 1 Oct: Sniper Shot 45-yd range and the next 3 shots gain +10 yd; Survival's Deflection 1–5% parry (was 2–10%); pet Aggressive mode restored.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 1 Oct

  • Furious Howl (Wolf) attack-power bonus −40%; Tame Beast no longer works on beasts above your level; Bat pets get Sonic Blast.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

  • Some guns/bows weren't consuming ammo — fixed.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

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